We Give Thanks
by TheArchimage
Summary: It's Thanksgiving, the holiday where people show how thankful they are for all their blessings by stuffing their faces. Chara and Frisk share a quiet moment before dinner. Part of Chara & Frisk Week 2018.


AN: I figured most people would go with the "Christmas" route for this prompt, so being the contrarian I am I decided on a Thanksgiving scene instead.

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Chara made a face at the sauces, casseroles, and heaping bowls of boiled vegetables of all kinds covering every inch of the countertop. "Hedonism and gluttony celebrated as virtues. Only a human could come up with a holiday like this."

Frisk frowned at them. "You're the one who told me it was-"

"A harvest festival, I know, I know. I could recite the importance of feast days and the rural history of Thanksgiving standing on my head. Knowing what it _was_ doesn't change what it _is_." They were seated at the dining room table in full view of the panoply. They were the only two at the table, Chara being unwilling to join everyone in the backyard just yet for games and socializing. Frisk was there earlier but came in to keep Chara company.

"Try to think of it as a time to be thankful." Frisk edged their chair closer to Chara's, and they started bouncing in place when Chara allowed it. "We've got lots to be thankful for this year after all. You're alive, Asriel's alive, I have a forever family. Alphys' research is going well, Undyne loves her new job." Frisk tapped their fingers together and allowed one of their darker gratitudes free: "Sans and Toriel aren't gonna start dating."

"Well that's awfully selfish of you," Chara accused, but with their smile and lilting tone there was no bite to the remark. "Your poor mother has no special person in her life, and you're happy because you don't have to put up with the two of them making awful puns at all hours of the day."

Frisk did not deny it. "They're bad enough apart. Besides, you're thankful it won't happen, too."

"Yes, but my reasons are legitimate. I knew Sans when we were both kids. Toriel must be four times his age at least, it would be weird for her to break the 'divide by two, add seven' rule."

"Maybe it's not weird for monsters. I mean, Asgore and Toriel were married and Asgore must be-"

"Okay, point taken, don't finish that sentence." Chara put up a hand to signal their surrender. Frisk laughed and gave Chara a smug grin. It was not often they won an argument with Chara, and boy did they ever rub it in their face when they did.

Chara listened to the shouts and whoops emanating from the backyard. They were only moments away from the beginning of the festivities. The game of cornhole in the backyard was entering its climax, and once one team had celebrated their victory and the other lamented their loss, everyone would come back inside to partake of the hilariously varied and elaborate lunch buffet. All those monsters in such a small space. Talking, yelling, jostling, laughing. Talking to them, expecting to receive responses. It was bad enough that Papyrus was here, they liked the skeleton but he could be a bit much to handle. But no, Mettaton was making an appearance too. Mettaton was the exact personality type that stuck in Chara's craw: boisterous, flamboyant, and always running at an 11 when he really only needed to be at a 4. It was even worse when a certain enby pal of theirs accidentally let slip that Chara had a half-decent signing voice. Ever since he had been hounding Chara to appear on his show, or at least put together a demo tape he could shop around. Chara refused, but the robot seemed to be having trouble taking 'no' for an answer. If he got on their case now, today, they really did not know what they were going to do.

Chara bent over and touched their forehead to the table, rolling their head back and forth while sighing deeply. "God, this is gonna _suck_."

"It'll be okay Chara. You like all these people, they all know your limits. Nobody's going to crowd you or make you feel closed in. Are you okay with a sidehug?" Chara made an acquiescent hum, and before it had time to fade from their throat they felt Frisk's weight and heat beside them. It was weird; they would not allow most other people getting this close to them. Even if they did it was very much a case of tolerance; they put up with it because they felt like they owed these people physical affection for all the crap they put them through. But it was different with Frisk. Rather than getting anxious they were made more comfortable by their presence. They wanted to chalk it up to Frisk housing their soul and anchoring their spirit for the last two years, but something told them it was not so simple. "You're tougher than you think," Frisk continued. "But let us know if something's wrong. If you need to go be in private to recharge no one will think worse of you for it."

They squeezed Frisk's kneecap as an acknowledgment. Then Chara felt rather than saw Frisk fish something from out of their pocket and start reaching up toward the ceiling with the same hand over Chara's head. Frisk was getting an early start, it seemed. Chara lifted their face to stare at Frisk and warned them, "If that's a mistletoe, you die." Frisk smiled and opened up their other hand to reveal a tiny chocolate Kiss, still wrapped in foil with the paper tag sticking out the end. Chara rolled their eyes but took the candy. "So bad puns are okay if it's you doing them? Fine, your bribe is accepted and you receive a stay of execution." Frisk giggled while they nuzzled against Chara's shoulder. Chara could only shake their head and pop the chocolate into their mouth.

The kid had a point, Chara thought. Even if it had been a crazy year, even if they still could not believe in a happy future despite living in one, even if it might take them years to convince themselves they deserved it… they really did have a lot to be thankful for.


End file.
